Chapter 315 - Feeling Drained

Chapter 315 - Feeling Drained

Chu Ning's gaze fell upon the ancient dagger, and he noticed that the blood groove on it was filled with a dark red liquid. It was a stark contrast to its previous empty state.

"Could it be that the power wasn't released after absorbing the essence blood, and that's why it wasn't consumed?"

A guess formed in Chu Ning's mind, and a smile appeared on his face.

"That's convenient," he thought to himself. After all, his spiritual power was only sufficient to activate the dagger once. Now, he wouldn't have to expend essence blood each time he faced an enemy.

As for the essence essence that had been sprayed out earlier, Chu Ning could make up for it with a few days of cultivation.

Casually, Chu Ning placed the ancient dagger into his most frequently used storage bag. He then walked over to Hei Sha Old Demon's remains and retrieved the storage bag from the corpse, examining it carefully once more.

Finding nothing else of note, he conjured a fireball and reduced the corpse, which had been cleaved in two, into ashes.

Only then did Chu Ning open the storage bag and empty its contents.

The first thing that caught his eye was a jade bottle—the very same one that Situ Yan had used to store the drop of Millennium Spirit Milk.

Upon opening it and peering inside, his eyes lit up. To his surprise, the bottle contained nearly half its volume in Millennium Spirit Milk, amounting to close to fifty drops.

"How did this old demon get so much Millennium Spirit Milk?" Chu Ning wondered aloud, his eyes wide with astonishment.

Millennium Spirit Milk was something that cultivators rarely traded once they obtained it. After all, it was useful to all cultivators and could even save their lives in many situations.

Take Situ Yan, for example. If he hadn't believed that the ancient dagger would be enough to kill Chu Ning and hadn't been rushed by Chu Ning's spiritual sword attack, he could have taken the time to drink a drop, which might have allowed him to withstand Chu Ning's strike and only suffer some injuries.

However, landing a fatal blow with a single strike would still have been challenging.

Chu Ning pondered for a moment and surmised that it might still have something to do with the secret technique the opponent had used to extend his lifespan.

Although the opponent was at the peak of the late Nascent Soul stage was incorrect here, late Golden Core stage is used instead, at this stage, the strength of the Golden Core and the power of the Elixir energy were most likely insufficient.

That was why he had collected so much Millennium Spirit Milk in preparation for battles that required the use of magic.

And now, all of that spirit milk had conveniently fallen into Chu Ning's hands.

Chu Ning continued to sift through the pile of items. After all, the old demon had lived for eight to nine hundred years, so it was no surprise that he had accumulated a significant number of high-quality possessions.

However, many of the items he had collected seemed to be meant for refining demonic powers and demonic artifacts, which weren't of much use to Chu Ning.

There was, however, an item called Celestial Separation Water, which was one of the materials needed to refine the Water Spirit Sword, and Chu Ning naturally kept it.

He also set aside some spirit stones and regular spirit pills and elixirs.

In addition, there were jade slips that recorded techniques and spells.

However, since Situ Yan cultivated demonic path techniques and spells, Chu Ning wasn't interested in most of them.

Only one jade slip, which recorded a technique called the Phantom Escape Technique, caught his attention, and he set it aside to study.

Chu Ning was quite curious about the secret technique that the old demon had used to extend his lifespan.

Even though he couldn't use it himself, he wanted to take a look at it and study it. He figured that it would also be a valuable item for trading with other cultivators.

Unfortunately, despite searching through the entire storage bag, he couldn't find it.

As for the Phantom Escape Technique, Chu Ning guessed that it was the same technique that Situ Yan had used earlier, and he recalled it vividly. So, he took out the jade slip to study it further.

Bai Ling watched as Chu Ning sorted through the items, remaining silent. Her face still bore a thoughtful expression, as if she were pondering the matter of simulating aura.

Each of them was lost in their thoughts about their respective matters.

As Chu Ning read the contents recorded on the jade slip, he felt delighted.

"This Phantom Escape technique can't really be considered a demonic art. Instead, it's a special escape technique that consumes a large amount of spiritual power.

The reason why the old demon had purple-black mist earlier was entirely due to the demonic art he cultivated.

This escape technique is worth cultivating. After all, it's even faster than the Divine Wind Escape Technique by a few points.

Moreover, when this technique is used, it leaves a phantom at the original location. Unless a cultivator has extremely strong divine sense, they won't be able to detect it, thus allowing one to evade some attacks and spells."

Chu Ning's interest was piqued, and he immediately released the two golden thunder eagles to hunt for themselves.

While they took care of their meal, he began to ponder the Phantom Escape technique.

Ironically, it was something he could cultivate right there on the overseas island.

Half a day later, Chu Ning set down the jade slip.

Just then, he noticed Bai Ling looking at him with a joyful expression on her face.

"Young Master, I remember now," Bai Ling said with a giggle. "In my inheritance memory, there is indeed a secret technique that can simulate aura, and it can even perfectly mimic the aura of a tenth-stage demon beast.

However, the cultivation of this technique is rather difficult, and with my current cultivation, I would also need to rely on a treasure called the Cold Marrow Pearl."

"Cold Marrow Pearl?" Chu Ning raised his eyebrows slightly. "What is that?"

Bai Ling paused for a moment, looking puzzled. "Young Master, don't you know? When I broke through and advanced in rank, my spiritual energy was insufficient, but you gave me a Cold Marrow Pearl to help me."

"I only knew that the young master of the Huan Ling Sect had it, but I didn't know its name," he said.

"I do have some information about it in my inherited memories," Bai Ling said thoughtfully. "The Cold Marrow Pearl is born within cold jade and can only be found in extremely cold places."

"Extremely cold places," Chu Ning nodded. "This Northern Cold Land should have the most extreme cold areas in all of Tian Yan Continent. I'll keep an eye out for it."

"Alright, I've sent Da Jin and Xiao Jin out to find something to eat. Why don't you go and take a look as well?" Chu Ning suggested to Bai Ling. "We'll stay here for a few days, and I can practice the new escape technique I just learned."

"Yes, Young Master," Bai Ling replied. She resumed her true form, flapped her wings, and flew away.

The spiritual energy on this remote island was sparse, and as it was located in the inner sea, there was little chance of encountering any powerful demons. Chu Ning wasn't too concerned, and after Bai Ling left, he sat down to meditate and restore his spiritual power.

He had already expended most of his spiritual power when he tested the ancient dagger earlier. Now, he needed to recover before practicing the Phantom Escape technique, which consumed a significant amount of spiritual power.

Since he wasn't in a hurry, Chu Ning didn't want to waste the Millennium Spirit Milk unnecessarily. It took him half a day of meditation to restore his spiritual power.

Chu Ning began practicing the Phantom Escape technique in the air above the small island. He transformed into a blue shadow, darting through the air. At first, his speed was slow enough to leave a visible blue trail. But gradually, he became faster and faster, moving so quickly that there was no trace of his flight.

Just as one silhouette dissipated, Chu Ning's figure reappeared at another spot. He practiced for half a day until he felt he had a preliminary grasp of the Phantom Escape technique.

Of course, to increase his speed and make the phantoms more realistic, he would need to continue refining his skill. However, Chu Ning couldn't continue practicing at that moment because he felt as if his body had been hollowed out—the technique had drained him of too much spiritual power.

"This Phantom Escape technique truly consumes a lot of spiritual power," he mused aloud. "Even with intermittent breaks to recover my spiritual power, I still ended up using ninety percent of it. If I were to use it continuously, with my current level of spiritual power, I could probably only maintain it for half an hour at most."

Chu Ning finished speaking softly to himself and prepared to meditate again to restore his spiritual power. However, he suddenly paused, feeling slightly surprised. Why hadn't Bai Ling and the two Golden Thunder Eagles returned yet? He had been occupied for almost a full day.

With that thought, Chu Ning released his spiritual sense, extending it outward. With his current strength, his spiritual sense could cover the entire small island. But to his surprise, he didn't detect the three beasts; instead, his spiritual sense was blocked when it reached a certain area.

"Hmm? A formation?" Chu Ning's expression changed, and his body transformed into a blue shadow, darting toward the location.

It only took him a moment to reach the formation. After a brief examination, he breathed a sigh of relief. The formation wasn't particularly advanced, and it shouldn't have been able to trap Bai Ling.

Just as Chu Ning was about to break through the formation, a flash of white light appeared, and Bai Ling emerged from within. She immediately resumed her human form upon exiting the formation.

Seeing Chu Ning, she smiled and asked, "Oh, Young Master, you're here too?"

"Yes," Chu Ning nodded. "Why were you in there for so long?"

"Where are Da Jin and Xiao Jin?" he asked, a hint of confusion in his voice.

"They're still inside the formation," Bai Ling giggled. "This formation is a Mirage Array, and they seemed to be enjoying the illusions it created. They're probably having a lot of fun right now."

"You can control formations?" Chu Ning's face changed slightly at her words.

"I only discovered this ability today when I encountered this formation," Bai Ling explained with a smile. "As long as it's not too complex, I can control the formation after breaking its restrictions."

"What a heaven-defying talent," Chu Ning exclaimed, shaking his head in amazement.

Although the formation wasn't very advanced and seemed to be a fairly basic phantom formation, the fact that Bai Ling, a beast, could not only break it but also control it was astonishing. It was as if she were a human cultivator.

"Could it be that ancient beasts or the demon race, when they reach a certain stage of cultivation, can cultivate just like humans?" Chu Ning wondered aloud, a guess forming in his mind.

After all, he wasn't a native of this world, and before his transmigration, he had come across many strange and wonderful things. Thus, his ideas tended to be more diverse.

"Young Master, aren't you going to ask me why I stayed in the formation for so long?" Bai Ling asked with a smile.

Chu Ning's heart stirred at her words. "What? Could it be that there's some secret within the formation? That makes sense. Otherwise, why would someone set up a formation on this island that usually goes unnoticed?"

Chu Ning nodded. Ever since he reached the Golden Core stage and advanced to a fifth-stage demon beast, Bai Ling had become increasingly adept at wielding spells as she pleased.

Upon entering the formation, Chu Ning immediately sensed the presence of illusions. However, these illusions had no effect on him, a master of the Phantom God Technique.

He watched as the two Golden Thunder Eagles remained dormant, engrossed in the pleasurable illusions, and shook his head.

"Alright, dispel the illusions. Prolonged exposure can be detrimental to one's divine sense."

"Yes, Young Master!"

Bai Ling complied, executing a profound set of hand seals that Chu Ning had never seen before, causing the illusions within the formation to dissipate.

The two eagles immediately snapped out of their trance, their usually sharp eyes now clouded with confusion.

Bai Ling giggled and said something to the eagles, who responded with a mournful sound before flapping their wings and landing in front of Chu Ning.

He stored the eagles in his storage bag and turned to Bai Ling, saying, "Let's go. Show me what else is here."

Following Bai Ling into the man-made cave, Chu Ning noticed the dust that indicated a long absence of human presence. As they ventured further underground, a thought suddenly occurred to him.

"Hmm, this spiritual energy...is it a Hidden Spirit Vein?"

Chu Ning's mind flashed back to his dwelling in the Thousand Lakes and Islands, where he had encountered a similar phenomenon.

"You guessed it, Young Master," Bai Ling replied with a smile. "It's indeed a Hidden Spirit Vein. Although it's not very large, its grade is quite high. In fact, it's comparable to your cave dwelling in Icesky Fairy City."

Hearing this, Chu Ning's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he quickened his pace toward the underground vein.

Soon, they arrived at the Hidden Spirit Vein.

"Indeed, this vein is probably at the top of the third-grade," Chu Ning remarked with satisfaction. The amount of spiritual energy it emitted was indeed on par with what he had experienced in his cave dwelling in Icesky Fairy City.

Having spent a significant amount of time with Chu Ning, Bai Ling had come to understand him well. Seeing the look on his face, she smiled and asked, "Are you thinking of setting up a cave dwelling here, Young Master?"

Chu Ning nodded slightly.

In fact, he had been contemplating finding a place to establish a new cave dwelling for quite some time. While residing in Icesky Fairy City had its conveniences, there were also moments when it felt restrictive.

For instance, it wasn't an ideal place to cultivate certain techniques, like the escape technique he wanted to practice. Additionally, he had been considering setting up a Cloud Thunder Formation to try infusing his body with thunderous energy.

However, with the escalating tensions between humans and demon beasts, and his own need to refine and cultivate certain items, he had put those plans on hold.

Now, with this discovery, the idea of establishing his own cave dwelling resurfaced.

Returning to the surface, Chu Ning thought for a moment before suggesting, "Let's stay on this island for half a year. If the owner of this cave dwelling doesn't return within that time, I'll start using this Hidden Spirit Vein. In the meantime, we can gather the necessary resources for future peaceful cultivation."

Although Chu Ning suspected that the previous owner of the cave had likely met an unfortunate fate or departed for some reason, he felt it was only right to give them a reasonable amount of time before claiming the vein as his own.

"Of course, Young Master," Bai Ling readily agreed. She and the eagles relished the freedom they now had on the island, no longer confined to the cave dwelling.

For the next six months, Chu Ning spent most of his time on the island. During this period, he would meditate and cultivate within the Hidden Spirit Vein, practice the Phantom Escape technique, and craft high-level talismans to exchange for cultivation resources at Frostmoon Pavilion.

On several occasions, he left the island as well. These trips included visits to Frostmoon Pavilion to exchange items for crafting formations and refining pills, as well as inquiries about the Ice Condensing Jade.

After witnessing the power of the Ice Shadow Sword Talisman, Chu Ning was convinced that having a larger stockpile of these talismans would serve him well. Until he broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, they would remain a crucial asset in his arsenal.

Additionally, he inquired about the Cold Marrow Pearl at Frostmoon Pavilion and learned that even in the Northern Cold Land, it was an extremely rare item that the pavilion couldn't readily provide.

During this period, Chu Ning also ventured into the Snowpeak Mountains in search of heavenly treasures. Compared to the Boundless Sea, the mountains saw fewer demon beast attacks on humans. This was partly because the beasts tended to concentrate in the deeper regions of the mountains, where powerful demons also dwelled.

However, in terms of sheer size, the mountains paled in comparison to the vastness of the sea, and cultivators were wary of venturing too deep for fear of attracting the attention of those powerful demons.

This was the only spirit fruit among the many that Chu Ning had brought out from Wuling Island that managed to survive and bear fruit. However, the fruit's shell, which was supposed to be purple, had now turned blue.

Moreover, Chu Ning had been in Iceland City for almost thirty years, yet the fruit didn't seem to have changed much, only growing slightly larger from the size of a little thumb to that of a big thumb.

There was no telling when it would fully mature. As a result, Chu Ning had mostly stopped trying to hasten its growth with his Mysterious Spring of Youth Technique.

After a slight hesitation, Chu Ning decided to transplant all of these spirit plants, carefully placing them into his storage bag.

Although he felt that he had spent a considerable amount of time cultivating these plants, two to three decades was not a long time for many spirit plants.

Most of the spirit herbs in Chu Ning's possession were transplanted from spiritual realms or other places abundant in spiritual energy, making their cultivation much faster.

For example, the Snow Crystal Herb had been transplanted over three thousand years ago, and the Bright Spirit Fruit was of unknown age before Chu Ning hastened its maturation.

As for the various spirit fruits from Wuling Island, which were nourished by the original power of the elements, who knew how many tens of thousands of years they had been growing?

With this in mind, the time spent on these dozens of spirit plants didn't seem that long.

After collecting all the spirit plants from the cave abode and removing the restrictions he had set up, Chu Ning finally left the dwelling.

He went to the nearby cave abode of Chang Lingshan and sent him a message.

Soon, Chang Lingshan invited Chu Ning into his abode, greeting him with a smile:

"Chu, my friend, it's rare to have a visitor like you. It's been over ten years since we last saw each other as neighbors."

Chu Ning nodded and sighed:

"Yes, I've been in seclusion for the past ten years.

I only emerged half a year ago and have been traveling since then.

I'm here to bid you farewell, as I plan to leave Iceland City for an extended period, and it may be a long while before I return."

"You're leaving Iceland City, Chu?" Chang Lingshan was slightly taken aback by Chu Ning's words.

He sighed, "First, it was Wu who left, and now it's you. There are fewer and fewer familiar faces in Iceland City."

"Wu left as well?" Chu Ning was a little surprised to learn that Wu Rongfeng had also departed from Iceland City.

"It's been three years now," Chang Lingshan explained. "Wu went to the Valley of Divine Sound. She stopped by to say goodbye before she left, but you were in seclusion at the time, so she didn't disturb you."

Chu Ning nodded, about to say something, when Chang Lingshan continued:

"Oh, right, Chu, my friend, Wu asked me to give you a message when you emerged from seclusion. She requested that you definitely pay a visit to the Valley of Divine Sound after you're done with your affairs."

"Go to the Valley of Divine Sound?" Chu Ning was somewhat surprised.

However, since Wu Rongfeng had specifically asked for this, he didn't inquire further with Chang Lingshan.

After some small talk, Chu Ning left Chang Lingshan's abode, his mind racing.

"Before setting up my own cave abode, I might as well pay a visit to the Valley of Divine Sound first. Once I settle in, I'll have to start another period of seclusion for my cultivation.

But before that, I should head to the island to practice my Divine Spirit Technique!"

Chu Ning's Divine Spirit Technique had been on the verge of a breakthrough when he emerged from seclusion half a year ago, and now the time had finally come.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end